Louisiana Bread Pudding With Lemon Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 4 cups dried bread, diced
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or use 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg)
• 1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped (optional)
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup sugar (or use splenda blend)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 lemon, zest
• 1 lemon, the juice (about 2-1/2 tbsps.)
• 2 tablespoons butter

Recipe

• 1 bread pudding: preheat oven to 350ºf. in a bowl large enough to hold bread and liquid, beat eggs with a fork until lemon yellow in color. whisk in milk, vanilla and almond extract.
• 2 soak bread in egg and milk mixture until the bread has absorbed most of the liquid, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• 3 mix sugar, salt, spices (and chopped dates) in a separate bowl. when bread has soaked up the liquid, add dry ingredients and mix well.
• 4 butter a baking dish large enough to hold the bread mixture 2 -1/2 qt pan or 8x8" will work. pour bread mixture into pan and dot top with pieces of butter.
• 5 bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. remove from oven and allow to cool or serve immediately.
• 6 lemon sauce: blend sugar, cornstarch and water in a sauce pan.
• 7 bring to a boil over med-high heat. cook 2 - 3 min until mixture is thickened.
• 8 remove from heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice and butter.
• 9 cut in squares and serve warm lemon sauce over bread pudding.